Severing apparatus



April 3, 1945- F. LoMBARDo 2,372,788

SEVERING APPARATUS Filed May 3', 1943 I INVENTOR. wnk Loma/'do Patented Apr. 3, 1945 SEVERING APPARATUS Frank Lombardo, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 3, 1943, Serial No. 485,469

4 Claims.

This invention relates to severing apparatus of the character employed in factories where fabric part of a. bag-receiving platform and which functions through the combined use of the force of gravity exerted upon the material being severed and through the power driven mechanism embodying the invention.

A further aim of this invention is the provision of severing apparatus of the aforementioned character having a specially disposed cutting element, the sharpened edge whereof intersects a face of the specially designed support in such fashion as to require the material being severed to travel along a length of the sharpened edge as the ma terial drops through the action of gravity.

This invention has for an even further object to provide severing apparatus. for thread or the like. that comprises a cutting element, means for directing the material being severed across the cutting edge of the said element, and power driven mechanism for relatively moving the said cutting element and the directing means.

To the present time, conventional methods of manufacturing bags that must be stitched by power machines, has involved the step of manually severing the chain stitching between successive bags as they Dass from the sewing machines. The bags are stacked by hand on a conventional platform'and as the workers so stack the bags, a knife or scissors is used to cut the stitching joining the bags. The danger involved, time consumed, and effort wasted are al1 elements of the problem to which severing apparatus embodying this invention is an answer.

In the preferred embodiment, severing apparatus contemplated is attached directly to the platform upon which the bags are stacked and funetions automatically as the bags are being placed, and as soon as the interconnecting stitching or thread is drawn over a certain portion of the cutting element support. Thus, the operator need only place the individual bags one upon another, on the platform and guide the interconnecting stitching to place over the severing apparatus, whereupon the threads will be cut without further attention on the part of the worker.

Two forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional platform having mounted thereon, severing apparatus made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the severing apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an edge elevational view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed` sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional .view taken on line V-V of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an ,enlarged detailed fragmentary sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a severing apparatus made to embody a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line VIII- VIII of Fig. 7.

While the severing apparatus about to be described by reference to the accompanying drawing, is particularly useful in severing the chain stitching l0, interconnecting fabric bags I2, it must be understood that the apparatus may be employed to advantage in a number of ways,

For purpose of illustration, however, the severing apparatus is shown mounted upon a platform i4, the nature of which is conventional and Whereupon is stacked a number of bags l2 as they are made read-y for the next step in the manufacture thereof. 'I'he bags have .just left the sewing machines and the stitching l0 remains to be severed.

The stacker usually cuts the interconnecting stitching l0 by a manual operation, but as has been heretofore indicated, this method is unsatisfactory. To automatically sever stitching l0, therefore,the severing apparatus made to embody the preferred form of the invention, and shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, is mounted directly upon platform I4 through the medium of a bracket I6 and bolts I8 having wing nuts 20 thereon. These bolts I8 may remain in place on platform I4 and wing nuts 20 merely adjusted to allow transfer of the entire severing apparatus from one point of operation on a platform I4, to another.

Obviously, the apparatus is mounted near one corner of the platform where stitching I0 may be introduced to slot 22 of support 24. This support 24 has a cavity 2B formed therein for the reception of the cutting element 28, a portion of which is exposed by slot 22. f

Cutting element 28 is mounted for rotation as detailed in Fig. 5, in that it is carried by a shaft 30 journalled in bearings 32 and provided with a wheel 34 over which passes a belt 36. A motor 38 has a pulley wheel 40 on the shaft 42 thereof.

24 and motor 38.

Slot 22 is especially formed in that it extends downwardly and at an angle to the vertical to intersect a portion of the length of the sharpened cutting edge 46 of element 28. Downwardly and outwardly inclined faces 48 formed on support 24 project laterally to each side of cutting element 28 and when stitching I0 is dropped into slot 22, the faces of support 24 adjacent to cutting element 28 will guide the material to be severed (I) toward cutting element 28 Where a portion of its sharpened cutting edge will wipingly engage the material to quickly sever the same. Motor 38 constantly operates to drive cutting element 28 and because cavity 26 com municates with slot 22 in the fashion shown in Fig. 2, a shearing action will also occury if the cutting element 28 has not completely severed stitching I0 before it is drawn tightly against the edge of support 24 forming one side of slot 22.

The downward pullexerted upon stitching I0 which is to be severed, is established through the action of gravity upon adjacent bags I2. As the operator places one bag I2 upon platform I4, the

succeeding bag I2 disposed to the opposite side of the severing apparatus will draw stitching I0 against cutting element 28. No pressure need be exerted by the operator. v

In the modied form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, support |00 is of a similar nature to that illustrated in Figs. l to 6 inclusive, but the cutting element |02 is a straight piece having a. sharpened edge |84 that intersects slot |06. The drive belt |08 in this instance, rotates a pair of spaced discs I I0 in the periphery of each of which is formed a-number of notches I I2. I'hese notches engage stitching I0 and draw the same across a portion of the cutting edge |04 of element |02. The two discs ||0 are disposed with respect to element |02 asillustrated in Fig. 8. that is, the sharpened marginal edge of element |02 lies between discs I|0.

The severing apparatus made in accordance with the modied form of the invention operates in substantially the same manner as set down above with respect to the apparatus illustrated in Fig, 1. The material to be severed is dropped into slot |06 and through the action of gravity saidmaterial will move toward rotating discs IIO, whereupon notches II2 will assist gravityin drawing the materia-1 to be severed across a portion of the length of cutting edge |04. i

It is understood that severing apparatus having physical characteristics different from those illustrated and described might be produced without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Severing apparatus for the interconnecting threads of stitched fabric bags or the like, comprising a cutting element having a `sharpened edge; a slotted support for the element; and

`means for drawing the threads across the sharpened edge of the cutting element when the threads enter the slot of the support, said slot of the support and the sharpened edges intersecting each other at an acute angle, said angle be ing positioned with its vertex at the lowermost point to cause the action of gravity upon the fabric bags to assist in drawing the threads into said vertex against the sharpened edge. g e

2. Severing apparatus of the character described comprising a cutting element; a slotted support for said element, the slotof said support having an inclined face intersecting the cutting element at an acute angle, said angle being positioned with its vertex at the lowermost point to cause material entering the slot and following said inclined face to move under actionof gravity into said vertex forseverance by the cutting element; and means for supplementing the action of gravity' to force the material into said vertex.

3, Severing apparatus of the character described comprising a cutting element; a slotted support for said element, the slot of said support having an inclined face intersecting the cutting element at an acute angle, said angle being positioned with its Vertex at the lowermost point to cause material entering the slot and following said inclined face to move under action of gravity into said vertex for severance by the cutting element; and rotating means for supplementing-the action of gravity to force the material into said vertex.

4. Severing apparatus of the` character def said means comprising a rotatable wheel havingnotches in its periphery; and drive means fo rotating said wheel.

FRANK LOMBARDO. 

